Creating Assynt

The geology of Assynt is overwhelming to the eye, with great mountains such as Suilven and Quinag dominating the skyline. The people who live and work in amongst these huge slabs of rock have a close relationship to the land, one which is largely unspoken.

In the summer of 2014, the local community were given the opportunity to express their close connection to and understanding of this landscape through a series of art and writing workshops, led by local artist Jan Kilpatrick and visiting writer Christian McEwen. They visited three locations - Knockan Crag, the Bone Caves and Little Assynt Community Woodland - on each occasion, gathering impressions and inspiration for their own creative response. North West Highland Geopark officers and a member of staff from Coigach and Assynt Living Landscapes (CALL) acted as field guides.

The activities ran from Monday 25th August until Wednesday 27th August 2014. The week then finished with a flourish, with a celebration of the work produced. This took place at Elphin Community Hall on Friday 29th August, between 7.00 pm and 9.00 pm. There was art work on display and a short programme of readings of the work produced . Refreshments were provided. After a few days, the exhibition of work moved to Coigach Community Hall and then to Lochinver Information Centre and Lochinver Leisure Centre, before finally arriving at the Macphail Centre, Ullapool, thus sharing the experience with other communities living in similarly remote locations. This project has received generous support from the Macphail Centre, Ullapool and Highland Council and has provided an exciting opportunity for the tutors to work in partnership with the Geopark and CALL, two organisations keen to promote the unique qualities of this ancient land.